Headline
Title: Billionaires and Stars Lend a Hand: Who's Contributed to Aid for Los Angeles Wildfire Victims
Celebrity and Corporate Aid Floods in to Assist Fire-Stricken Los Angeles Residents
Lead
As wildfires wreak havoc and force the displacement of nearly 200,000 residents in Los Angeles County, prominent figures and organizations are stepping up to provide assistance.
Key Facts
Celebrity Donations
- Disney made a $15 million pledge, funneling resources towards the American Red Cross, Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation, and Los Angeles Regional Food Bank. Additional financial support will be allocated to employees impacted by the fires.
- Paramount contributed $1 million to relief efforts, with donations directed to the American Red Cross, Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation, California Fire Foundation, Direct Relief, World Central Kitchen, and Best Friends Animal Society.
- Tim Cook, Apple's CEO, announced that the firm will contribute financially to support victims and recovery endeavors, although the exact sum remains undisclosed.
- FanDuel and Flutter Entertainment collectively donated $250,000, dispersing funds to Americares and the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation.
- Fox Corporation pledged $1 million to the American Red Cross' relief fund and encouraged network viewers to support the organization's initiatives.
- Paris Hilton, whose home was severely damaged by the Palisades fire, deployed an emergency fund through her 11:11 Media Impact foundation, providing an initial contribution of $100,000 and promising to match additional donations with a cap of another $100,000.
- Jared Isaacman, a billionaire businessman, vowed to match the first million donations to his relief campaign.
- Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg, the world's third-richest individual, along with his wife Priscilla, will contribute personally to wildfire relief efforts. Billionaire KIND Snacks founder Daniel Lubetzky confirmed that his charity, Frontline Impact Project, is actively working to provide aid, hope, and care to those affected.
- Actress Jamie Lee Curtis, who had initially feared the loss of her Santa Monica home, committed to donating $1 million to wildfire relief efforts with her husband, Christopher Guest.
- According to sources, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have made monetary donations, provided clothing, children's items, and other supplies, and encouraged support for organizations like World Central Kitchen, CAL FIRE, LA Fire Department Foundation, Animal Wellness Foundation, Compton Cowboys, and Baby2baby.
- Kylie Jenner, the youngest Kardashian-Jenner sister, pledged to donate to the California Fire Foundation Wildfire & Disaster Relief Fund.
Corporate Donations
- NFL will sell team-specific Rams and Chargers hats and shirts to generate revenue for the LAFD Foundation. 50% of the Rams 50/50 raffle winnings from Monday's game will also be donated to the LAFD Foundation and American Red Cross. The NFL is committed to contributing $5 million to wildfire relief efforts, with individual contributions from teams and ownership groups such as the Los Angeles Chargers, Los Angeles Rams, Minnesota Vikings, Houston Texans, and the NFL Foundation.
- Actresses Halle Berry and Sharon Stone have expressed support for local boutique and home goods store +COOP, which has transformed into a pop-up shop for those in need of clothing following the fire losses.
- Former "Real Housewives of New York City" star Bethenny Frankel announced that her charity BStrong has partnered with the Global Empowerment Mission to deliver aid to those affected by the wildfires.
Key Background
Five significant wildfires, including the deadly Eaton Fire (burning over 14,000 acres) and the Palisades Fire (consuming more than 21,500 acres), threaten the Los Angeles County area. As of Saturday morning, the Eaton Fire was only 3% contained, while the Palisades Fire had reached an 11% containment rate. Other wildfires, such as the Kenneth Fire (close to Calabasas) and the Hurst Fire (near San Fernando), were also impacting the Los Angeles County region.
Currently, there is little knowledge regarding the origin of these wildfires, with one fire (Kenneth Fire) suspected to have been started by an arsonist who was arrested on Thursday. Since the start of the fires, ten people have perished, primarily affecting the Pacific Palisades area, a neighborhood prominent for its celebrities and iconic landmarks.
The Palisades area boasts an average home value of $3 million, seeing celebrities such as Adam Brody and Leighton Meester, JJ Redick, Hilton, Billy Crystal, Tina Knowles, and reality TV stars Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt burn their homes to the ground.
Tangent
California's historic wildfires are anticipated to rank among the costliest in US history, only eighteen months following the devastating wildfires in Hawaii, which ultimately claimed the lives of 10 people, making it the deadliest blaze ever recorded in America. In the wake of the Maui fires, charitable donations from notable figures and corporations, including Bezos and Sánchez with a $100 million contribution and Oprah Winfrey and Dwayne Johnson with a $10 million donation, poured in.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have also contributed to wildfire relief efforts, providing monetary donations and supplying clothing, children's items, and other essentials to organizations like World Central Kitchen and Baby2baby. Paris Hilton, whose home was affected by the Palisades fire, donated an initial $100,000 through her foundation and pledged to match additional contributions up to an additional $100,000. Jamie Lee Curtis, an actress, committed to donating $1 million with her husband to wildfire relief efforts.
